Push bar operator



June 9, 1959 A. W. AHLGREN PUSH BAR OPERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 5 1957 QAfO k lgrem awa June 9, 1959 A w AHL REN 2,890,075

PUSH BAR OPERATOR Filed June 5, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent PUSH BAR OPERATOR Axel W. Ahlgren, Rockford, Ill., assignor to Amerock Corporation, Rockford, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application June 5, 1957, Serial No. 663,744

3 Claims. (Cl. 292-275) This invention relates to an operator for opening a window having a swinging sash that pivots on the window frame. In more particularity, the invention concerns an elongated operator bar secured to a swingable window; sash and slidable in a guide fastened on the window frame for opening and closing the window.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel operator of the above type which conveniently permits a strong force to be smoothly exerted in opening and closing a sash through its full range of movement.

A more detailed object is to support an inflexible op-e erator bar in a novel sliding guide that rocks as the sash opens and continuously provides a low friction, noiseless, bearing for the bar.

The invention also resides in the manner of eifecting a bug shield about a sash operator bar that passes through a window screen, the shield remaining fully eifective both as the bar is tilted in operation and when utilized with an attractively designed, tapered, operator bar.

A further object is to employ a novel fastening arrange-i ment for securing an operator bar to a window sash which economically permits the bar and sash to be conveniently released at any time. I 1

Still another object is to provide a novel sash operator which is economical to manufacture since the sliding guide is of a novel, readily formed and inexpensive design and the operator bar need not be resilient.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the attached detailed de-- scription and upon reference to the drawings in which! Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a window having a swingable sash with which an operator of the present invention has been installed.

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a guide sleeve for the operator bar shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of Fig.3. v 7' 'Fig. S'is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is similar to Fig. 5, showing the operator in its fully extended, window opened, position.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary top view of the outer end portion of the operator bar shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

While the invention will be described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that I do not intend to limit the invention to that embodiment. On the contrary, I intend to cover all alterations, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

In the drawings the invention is illustrated in connection with a window 10 of the so-called awning type which 2 includes a sash 11 pivoted on the window frame 12 to swing about a horizontal axis into and out of snug fitting engagement with the window frame so as to open and close the window.

To open the window sash 11, an elongated operator bar 13 is slidably supported in a guide' 14 and secured to the window sash by being pivoted to a bracket 15 screwed to the sash frame. The guide 14 is preferably mounted on the window frame 12 by being screwed into place. It will be apparent that the sash 11 may be swung about its axis to open the Window 10 by sliding the operator bar 13 outwardly through the guide 14. Closing of the window is elfected by retracting the operator bar through the guide 14 so as to draw the sash 11 into tight engagement with the window frame 12.

In accordance with the present invention, the operator bar 13 is guided and supported by a sleeve through which the bar may slide, the sleeve being pivotable about an axis parallel to the axis of the swinging sash 11 and effective to resiliently grip the bar about its periphery. Thus, the bar may be rigid and inflexible since the sleeve will pivot to accommodate the changing angle of the bar as the window is opened. In the illustrated embodiment, the bar 13 is supported by a sleeve assembly 20 comprising upper and lower portions 21, 22, respectively. Each of the portions 21, 22 are provided with laterally extending, semi-cylindricalprojections 23 which, when the portions 21, 22 are sandwiched together about the bar 13, form trunnions about which the sleeve assembly may pivot.

The sleeve assembly 20 is socketed within a housing 25 which is provided with opposite flange portions 26, 27 permitting the housing to be-screwed firmly onto the window frame 12. The trunnion projections 23 on the sleeve assembly 20 are received within oppositely disposed grooves 28, 29 formed on the inner side walls of the housing. The sleeve assembly is restricted to swinging movement about the trunnions since vertical movement along the grooves 28, 29 is prevented by the closely enclosing top and bottom walls of the housing 25 (see Fig. 5). a

The housing 25 is provided with front and rear openings, 32, 33 respectively, permitting the bar 13 to pass freely through the housing. The forward opening 32 is larger than the rear opening 33 so that the housing 25 defines a diverging throat facing the window sash 11. It

will be appreciated that the divergence of the top and bottom housing walls 30, 31 permits the sleeve assembly 20 to swing about its trunnion projections 23 along an axis parallel to the axis of the swinging sash 11 (see Figs. 5 and 6).

The sleeve assembly 20 is formed to resiliently grip the rod 13 even though the latter be tapered to produce a rnodern, attractive design. This'is accomplished in the present embodiment by splitting each of the sleeve portions 21, 22 at 21a and 22:: respectively (see Fig. 2), and by tensioning a resilient member about the outer ends of the sleeve portions. The resilient member may take the form of a rubber band 35 or a coil spring whose ends are connected to define an elastic loop. Both of the sleeve portions 21, 22 are formed with outwardly flared abutments 36 which serve to prevent the elastic member 35 from slipping from the ends of the sleeve assembly.

It will be understood that due to the resilient grip the sleeve assembly 20 maintains on the bar 13, the rigid bar may be freely moved back and forth through the housing 25 and the sleeve assembly 20 will always grip the bar 13 peripherally although the bar is tapered toward its inner end to provide an operator of attractive design. It will also be appreciated that as the bar 13 is moved, the sleeve assembly will easily pivot about its trunnion projections 23 to accommodate the changing angle of the bar as the window is opened and closed (see Figs. 5 and 6).

Preferably, the upper and lower portions 21, 22 of the sleeve assembly are molded in single integral units of a plastic material such as nylon. It has been found that this material serves as an efficient, noiseless, hearing permitting smooth, quiet, sliding movement of the bar 13. This material is also simple and inexpensive to form in the required configuration and has the necessary resiliency permitting the sleeve assembly 21 to remain in gripping engagement with the tapering bar 13.

A feature of the invention is that the housing 25 and the sleeve assembly 20 cooperate to provide an efiective bug shield preventing insects from passing along the operator bar 13 and thus through a window screen on the window 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 25 is provided with a tubular, inwardly extending, portion 41 (see Fig. 1) defining the rear opening 33 and which may be closely fitted within an opening in a window screen 42 (see Fig. 3) so that insects cannot pass through the screen along the outside of the housing 25. The sleeve assembly 20 is closely fitted within the opening 33 of the housing 25 and snugly surrounds the operator bar 13 in all of the latters positions. Thus, the sleeve assembly 20 effectively blocks the space between the bar 13 and the inner walls of the housing 25 so as to prevent passage of insects through the housing 25 and past the screen 42.

A further feature of the invention is a novel springbiased fastening means permitting the bar 13 to be pivotally, but releasably, coupled to the window sash 11. In the present embodiment, the bar 13 comprises three segments pivoted at 45 and 46 to form a single length. The joints 45,46 are relatively stiff so that the bar 13 does not lose its rigidity when extended to fully open the window 10. The joints permit the bar 13 to be collapsed at either one of two center portions so that the major portion of the bar may be conveniently disposed in an out-of-the-way position adjacent the window frame 12.

The outermost segment 13a of the bar 13 is provided with a hook portion 47 which may be snapped over a pin 48 secured to the bracket 15. To lock the hook portion onto the pin 48, the outer segment of the bar 13 is hollow and slidably supports a spring-biased locking slide 49. The slide 49 is urged outwardly along the bar 13 into engagement with the lower tip of the hook portion 47 by a compressed helical spring 50. It will be understood that the slide 49 is therefore effective to prevent the hook portion 47 from being lifted from the pin 48 so that the bar- 13 remains pivotally coupled to the sash 11.

For releasing the locking slide 49, an upwardly ex tending flange 51 is secured to the slide 49 and is disposed within an opening 52 formed in the top of the bar segment 13:: (see Fig. 8). To release the bar 13 from the window sash 11, it is necessary only to engage the 4 flange 51 with a fingernail or any convenient pointed tool and withdraw the slide 49 rearwardly so that the hook portion 47 may be lifted from the pin 48, thereby upcoupling the bar from the sash.

I claim as my invention:

1. For use with a window having a sash mounted in a frame to swing about a first axis, the combination of, a housing adapted to be secured to the frame and defining an elongated passage opening outwardly toward the sash, an elongated rigid bar projecting through said passage and toward said sash, means for pivotally connecting the outer end of said bar to the sash, an elongated sleeve disposed within said passage and encircling said bar, the inner end of said sleeve being disposed closely adjacent the walls of said passage and the outer end of the sleeve fitting snugly around said bar, and means pivotally connecting the inner end of said sleeve to said housing to support the sleeve for swinging about an axis paralleling said first axis, said passage diverging outwardly to accommodate swinging of the sleeve.

2. For use with a window having a sash mounted in a frame to swing about a predetermined axis, the combina tion of, a base having an opening therein and adapted to be secured to said frame, an elongated rigid bar projecting through said opening and outwardly toward said sash, means on the outer end of said bar for pivotall-y connecting the bar to the sash, an elongated sleeve surrounding said bar and having one end disposed within said opening, said one end being substantially equal in size and shape to said opening and the other end of said sleeve fitting snugly around said bar, and means pivotally connecting said sleeve to said base to turn about an axis disposed adjacent said one end and paralleling said predetermined axis.

3. For use with a window having a sash mounted in a frame to swing about a first axis, the combination of, a base adapted to be secured to said frame, an elongated rigid rod projecting outwardly toward said sash and varying in cross-section along its length, means for pivotally connecting the outer end of said bar to said sash, an elongated sleeve made of a flexible material and encircling said bar, one end of said sleeve being larger than the largest portion of said bar and said sleeve being split lengthwise .along the opposite end portion whereby said end portion may expand and contract to accommodate the changing cross-section of the bar as the latter is slid back and forth through the sleeve, a resilient member encircling the split end portion of said sleeve and operable to contract said end portion against said bar, and means pivotally connecting said one end of the sleeve to said base to support the sleeve for swinging about an axis parallel to said first axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,993,050 Cook Mar. 5, 1935 2,584,375 Widmer. et al. Feb. 5, 1952 2,778,053 Hess et al Jan. 22, I957 

